ALLENTOWN, PA-International Battery , a manufacturer, designer and developer of large-format lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and grid-scale systems, today announced the appointment of former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham to its board of directors.

Abraham is the Chairman and CEO of The Abraham Group, an international strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. He served as the U.S. secretary of energy under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. Prior to that appointment, Abraham served in the U.S. Senate (Michigan) for six years, where he chaired two subcommittees: Manufacturing and Competitiveness, and Immigration.

Abraham is currently the non executive chairman of Areva Inc. and a member of the board of directors of Occidental Petroleum.

“It is particularly timely for Secretary Abraham to join International Battery’s Board, given the enormous emerging interest in storage for both smart grid, and solar power and the maturation of International Battery’s unique world-class systems and manufacturing technology,” says Ake Almgren, president and CEO of International Battery.